


we'll crack before we shatter

by GuardianKarenTerrier



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste Needs a Hug, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Feast, Feast hurt me, Fluff, Gen, Identity Reveal, Literal Sleeping Together, Protective Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, feast spoilers, ml paris is full of random greenhouses okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-21
Updated: 2019-09-21
Packaged: 2020-10-25 02:47:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20716811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GuardianKarenTerrier/pseuds/GuardianKarenTerrier
Summary: He doesn't even finish reading the letter.He doesn't get much farther than 'I am truly sorry, Chat Noir.  You have been an absolutely astounding holder of the Black Cat Miraculous-'and the realisation that the reassuring weight on his finger is gone, that the reassuring presence of hiskwamiis gone, and he's not prepared to lose Plagg. He was never going to be prepared to lose Plagg, but especially not in the dead of night with no warning, especially not now when he's already spent all day worrying about Nathalie.(It'snot'nothing to worry about.' It'snevernothing to worry about).He skims the rest of the letter as fast as possible even as he's throwing himself out of bed, finding himself horribly torn at the news that Master Fu's taken Ladybug's Miraculous as well.  There's a level of relief in knowing that it reallyisn'tthat he's failing somehow at being Chat Noir, but that doesn't begin to override his near-panic at waking to find Plagg gone, and if Tikki's gone too-Then he might well be losing Ladybug as well.





	we'll crack before we shatter

**Author's Note:**

> hullo, i loved feast but also it personally broke into my house to hurt me personally
> 
> no beta we die like (injured) men

He doesn't even finish reading the letter.

He doesn't get much farther than '_I am truly sorry, Chat Noir. You have been an absolutely astounding holder of the Black Cat Miraculous-'_ and the realisation that the reassuring weight on his finger is gone, that the reassuring presence of his _kwami_ is gone, and he's not prepared to lose Plagg. He was never going to be prepared to lose Plagg, but especially not in the dead of night with no warning, especially not now when he's already spent all day worrying about Nathalie.

(It's _not_ 'nothing to worry about.' It's _never _nothing to worry about).

He skims the rest of the letter as fast as possible even as he's throwing himself out of bed, finding himself horribly torn at the news that Master Fu's taken Ladybug's Miraculous as well. There's a level of relief in knowing that it really _isn't_ that he's failing somehow at being Chat Noir, but that doesn't begin to override his near-panic at waking to find Plagg gone, and if Tikki's gone too he might well be losing Ladybug as well.

Adrien does see the note dissolve, largely unread, but by then he's already diving for his closet and searching frantically for something,_ anything_, that isn't Gabriel-brand and that will conceal his face. 

He doesn't find anything. He doesn't _have _anything. He should have been prepared for this, he should have talked about this with Ladybug, he should have-

Should haves aren't going to get him anywhere.

He settles on grabbing a shirt from the far, far back of his closet and ripping a sleeve off to use as a makeshift mask before changing his shirt out for a Ladybug shirt Nino gave him that he keeps _well_ hidden from his father and Nathalie. Not only is it very obviously _not _a Gabriel shirt, it's a cheap T-shirt, and as much as Adrien loves it he really doubts they'll all see eye to eye on that.

He stabs out eyes from the scrap of black cloth with the first pair of scissors he can find. They're jagged and uneven and his left eye doesn't sit quite right, but he doesn't have _time_ to correct it. Adrien doesn't know exactly what's going on but Plagg wouldn't just _leave_ him, he _wouldn't_, so Adrien needs to hurry and he needs to hurry _right now_.

He does find his protective gear for his skateboard ramp, and it doesn't take him long to gather that and strap it on- he's sure he's heading into a fight and he knows he's much too used to the protection of his suit to fight without _some_ kind of gear. It's going to be hard enough to remind himself that he _can't_ simply take hits meant for Ladybug, not now.

The helmet, too, obscures his face a bit more, and between that and the cloth scrap and the fact that he's not in his usual clothes Adrien at least shouldn't be recognised quite so easily. It might be a little harder to get out the window with his gear on but it won't be the first time he's had to climb out while encumbered.

After meeting Plagg he'd thought he'd never have to escape this way again. 

He does stop long enough to unlock his phone and get to the Ladyblog, but even if he hadn't he could probably just follow the sounds of commotion outside. They're getting gradually louder and it feels like the shouts and curses are echoing through the inside of his head, through the part of him that's still retreating desperately from the thought of losing Plagg and Ladybug all at once- because he can't even _find_ Ladybug if he's not Chat Noir, because-

He shoves that back, too, shoves it hastily into the back of his mind and slams a mental door shut on it even as he grips his phone in his teeth (it's fine, even if it breaks he can probably convince the Gorilla to help him get a new one, and this is _definitely_ more important) and then scrambles out of the window and down to the ground as fast as he can. 

He's still down a truly effective disguise, though, and he isn't sure how to reconcile that.

Right up until he sees a man pass him on a scooter, banana costume tucked under his arm, evidently only now making his way home. 

Adrien grabs at the man's arm as he slides past, only to let go hastily with a wince when the man startles badly. "Sorry! Sorry, um, listen, I know this is going to sound kind of nuts but- can I borrow your costume?"

The man blinks at him, blinks at the costume in his arms, and then shrugs. "Honestly? I kind of hate this job and would love to not get akumatized over it. You want it, kid, it's yours."

"Thank you," Adrien says, fervently, snatching the costume out of the man's hands. "Thank you so much, seriously, you have no idea how much this helps. I've got to run, I've got to- have you seen Ladybug?"

That is, naturally, when the sounds of frantic shouting become _much_ louder.

"Um," the man says slowly, turning to look towards the source of the noise, then back towards Adrien. "I think she's that way. Wait, are- are you-"

"Chat Noir," Adrien says in a rush, too distracted and anxious to think too hard about the implications of telling this random civilian who he is while his only protection is a helmet and a very flimsy, very hastily knotted on scrap of cloth with uneven eye holes. 

"Well," the man says, obviously a little taken aback but nowhere near as much as Adrien would have expected. "That explains the, uh-" He gestures vaguely in the area of his own face, and Adrien winces as his improvised mask slips a little more. 

They both flinch at a loud crash from down the street.

"Here," the man says, jumping off his scooter and shoving it in Adrien's direction. He hands him a broom, too, although that may simply be because it's there only thing he's still holding. "I live close, take this, it'll be faster than running." He hesitates. "I... think. Wait, why aren't you-"

"Thank you," Adrien says, cutting him off in a hurry before the man can think too hard about the rest of what he's clearly planning to ask. "I'll return it, I promise!"

(He'll try, anyway. If Plagg is really _gone_\- but no. Plagg _wouldn't_ have left him without warning, something's gone wrong).

Something has, definitely, gone _very_ wrong. 

Adrien catches up to Ladybug as fast as he can, and at least to him it's still obviously her, but now she can't transform either-

Master Fu's frantic attempts to escape, and the realisation that this sentimonster looks a _whole lot_ like the statue from the Louvre, fills in most of the remaining relevant details for Adrien very quickly. 

It's gratifying how much help so many different civilians are willing to offer.

It's distressing that it strikes Adrien partway through their mad chase that if they don't succeed he and Ladybug, too, will be civilians again. 

He's not even sure when they'd started _making _that distinction. 

Except-

Except they still _aren't_ civilians, not anymore. It's obvious that they aren't civilians, that they still fight just like themselves, and if Adrien had ever truly drawn much of a distinction between Adrien Agreste and Chat Noir in the first place it would be dissolving for good now. 

Ladybug's fighting just as well as she ever does in costume, and he's as determined as ever himself, and if defeating this monster with no powers but their own skills and whoever they can solicit help from along the way is what they have to do to earn their kwami back then-

Then Adrien would do it a hundred times over.

And clearly, he's not the only one. He doesn't know if Ladybug's kwami is to her exactly what Plagg is to him, but he knows his _partner_, and he knows the way she fights when she's determined to rescue someone. 

He knows he'd better follow her lead or risk developing tunnel vision in their effort to protect Master Fu and the Miraculous both.

(Plagg and Tikki don't have any way to defend themselves, not without wielders, not as far as he knows. They owe it to their kwami to _be_ that defence).

As willing as he is, as they both are, to take Feast on without any powers at all Adrien is still as relieved as he's ever been in his life when their Miraculous are handed back.

He and Ladybug only barely bother to get out of each other's sight. They take either side of an alley and carefully don't turn around, but they're in far too much of a hurry to find separate alleys; they're in so much of a hurry that it's a miracle they even both managed to grab their own Miraculous instead of each other's.

"Plagg," Adrien breathes the second he sees his kwami reappear, cupping both hands around the little black cat and bringing him to eye level. "Are you okay?"

Plagg looks a little disoriented for a moment before he shakes himself all over. "I will be, kid, but I'm gonna need more cheese than usual to make up for tonight. No one likes bein' kidnapped outta a sound sleep." 

Adrien knew already that Plagg hadn't chosen to go, that Plagg hadn't simply abandoned him (that Plagg _wouldn't_ abandon him), but that's not the same as hearing it directly from his kwami. There's a strained, fearful set to Adrien's shoulders that he's only aware of when he finally relaxes a little bit. He's still near vibrating with tension, because they still have a very dangerous enemy to fight, but with Plagg and Tikki back Adrien knows that he and Ladybug will succeed.

From behind him, he hears Ladybug breathe out Tikki's name like a prayer. Her voice sounds thick, like she's keeping back tears, and Adrien really can't blame her for it. 

"Tikki," Ladybug says again, and he heard correctly, his partner is choked up. Adrien knows exactly how badly losing Plagg would affect him, but he doesn't know enough about Ladybug's home life to know if it would be the same kind of blow to her.

But he knows her well enough to know that losing Tikki _would_ hurt her badly. Maybe she doesn't rely on Tikki outside of battle as much as he does Plagg, he really doesn't know, but- he knows that they both spend all their time with their kwami. Adrien hasn't been more than five feet from Plagg except for a handful of times since first sliding on his ring and meeting his kwami, and Plagg hasn't shown any sign of having any problems with that arrangement. Even that handful of times he _has_ left he's returned quickly.

(And Adrien would never demand that Plagg stay. He _wants_ Plagg to stay, but only if it's what Plagg wants too).

"Minou," Ladybug says, a little shakily. "Kitty, we'd better transform." 

"Sorry, Plagg," Adrien says, his heart hurting. "But we-"

Plagg shakes his head and headbutts Adrien's hands, much more openly affectionate than usual. "Kids. Time limit. Transform already!"

He hears Ladybug call her transformation at nearly the exact same time, and while he's still not happy with Master Fu it's good both to see Ladybug snatch him to safety just in time and to hear him express his renewed faith in them. 

There's something about Wayzz's scolding, about the revelation that _Wayzz_ hadn't _wanted_ to retrieve their Miraculous, that settles a lot of the remaining restless churning in Adrien's gut as well.

Adrien is less happy about learning his partner's plan.

If he didn't trust Ladybug with all his heart and soul already, he would never _agree _to her plan. _Letting_ the ravenous sentimonster swallow them both, and by extension swallow their kwami and their Miraculous, is not something Adrien would be willing to do if it was anyone else asking. His strongest urge has always been to keep his partner safe, and now he's still shaken from the both of them having to go to save their kwami (and Master Fu and the Miracle Box, but Adrien knows very well that it's Plagg and Tikki he was the most worried about even if that's not fair to the other kwami at all), and getting _eaten_ is not generally a good way to stay safe. 

But it's Ladybug. And she seems so sure. And her plan is clearly for them to go _together_.

He would do so much more than this at his Lady's request.

He doesn't regret it, once Ladybug finds the amok. He doesn't regret it but he's going to see flashes of what they found inside Feast when he closes his eyes at night and tries to sleep. (Adrien doesn't get much sleep in his own room anyway. He catches up on his sleep when he goes out as Chat Noir and finds somewhere to make himself comfortable for the night, in an unattended greenhouse or a well-hidden spot on a random roof or someone's balcony or some sheltering copse of trees in a park or any of a dozen different places that aren't the mansion).

He definitely doesn't regret it once he"s safely Cataclysmed the amok, once he can finally relax.

"Pound it," he says, in unison with Ladybug and Master Fu, and he can tell from the tired smile his partner flashes him and the tension around her eyes behind her mask that she's just as eager as he is to detransform and talk to their kwami. **  
**

Splitting up after a battle is always hard, but it's worse this time. He really doesn't want to leave Ladybug when he'd thought for a terrifying moment earlier that he might never see each other again. Without their kwami, without their powers, he hadn't been sure they'd have any way to find each other.

That they _did_ find each other is such an overwhelming relief that he has to shunt it to the back of his mind with everything else he's going to have an anxiety attack over later. 

Even though it's something they _never_ do, they both find themselves running along parallel rooftops on their way back, only beginning to veer in opposite directions as their Miraculous begin to beep with more and more urgency.

"Wait," Ladybug says abruptly, just as he turns to leave. She checks the area to make sure no one is in easy earshot, and he does the same out of long habit, and then she turns back to him. "Minou, I know it's not a patrol night but-"

Adrien's pretty sure his grin is more than a little ragged. "Which rendezvous point?"

Ladybug pauses, tapping her foot absently. "The fifth one, I think. Do you remember?"

He does. It's not only one of the greenhouses, it's his favourite, and he'd better make sure to get there before her because he doesn't think he'd hidden the bedding he keeps there quite well enough the last time he was there. A casual observer likely wouldn't notice but Ladybug is anything but a casual observer. 

"I remember," he says, and it's a lot more subdued and quiet than he intends. 

Ladybug's smile is strained, too. "I need- I need a couple hours, I think, but-"

"I don't have any obligations tomorrow," Adrien says softly. "At least, not any I can't skip." He probably _shouldn't_ skip them, true, but-

He's only supposed to be studying in his room for most of tomorrow. Father won't be checking his progress on the piano until late. He might be in trouble if Nathalie thinks to check in on him, but she rarely does so anymore, and even when she does she doesn't do much more than open the door and glance into his room. It won't be hard to make her think he's simply taking a long shower if she does check. 

It's always _possible_ the Gorilla will look for him, but his bodyguard has lost track of him at oddly convenient times often enough for Adrien to suspect that the Gorilla is in favour of Adrien having more freedom anyway.

"I can get away, too. So." Her smile finally softens around the edges, even as both their Miraculous beep yet more warnings. "See you in a few hours, kitty?"

"I'll be there with bells on." Adrien's tail flicks as he tilts his head at her and gives her a much more sincere grin. 

"One bell, at least," Ladybug says dryly, and reaches out to flick his bell once before turning on her heel to swing away. 

Adrien should probably go home to talk to Plagg. 

He doesn't. 

He doesn't usually want to detransform and go home, but it's more than that now. He doesn't want to go home and suffer anything like the flood of emotions that had torn through him when he first realised Plagg was gone. He can't avoid it forever, but he _can_ avoid his room, and the echoing emptiness of the mansion might well be enough to push him over the edge. Returning to his room, knowing that the only reason even that space hasn't been taken over by the cold silence that pervades the rest of the estate is Plagg's presence and that he'd come so close to _losing_ that, is tempting fate and he knows it. 

He's still carefully avoiding thinking about that too hard. He'll have to, sooner or later, but he's going to need to be around Plagg or Ladybug for it or it's far too large a risk to take.

No evil little butterflies have ever targeted him, or at least not him specifically, not even as a civilian. 

Adrien would very much like to keep it that way. 

He ends up detransforming in an old dead-end alleyway not far from the greenhouse. The alley is clearly a remnant from long ago; it twists and turns without going much of anywhere, and the end of it where he huddles to let his transformation go is thoroughly bricked off on one side and blocked by walls on two more. If Adrien didn't know he could always transform if he needed to leave urgently he'd never come into such an enclosed space at all. 

The second Plagg reappears Adrien goes digging through his pockets for his kwami's Camembert. "Here, Plagg- I'm sorry, I left in a hurry, this is all I could grab to bring with."

Plagg takes the cheese and gulps it quickly, before fixing Adrien with so intense a stare that he has to turn away. "You didn't need to bring so much Camembert, kid. I don't need bribed back."

Adrien drops his gaze and rubs the back of his neck. 

Plagg darts back to him and purrs loudly until he gets Adrien to purr back. "Kid. I can't be bribed away, okay? I'm not gonna up and leave in the dead of night on you. Not willingly. Not ever. And you should go talk to Ladybug, but she ain't gonna up and leave on you either, you know."

Adrien takes a deep breath and finally says, gently, "Plagg, claws out."

He's still not okay. He still needs to go and meet Ladybug at that greenhouse, because if he dares let the night's worth of emotions crash over him while he's anywhere near the mansion he'll be up all night huddled against the wall with Plagg and a flyswatter. 

And Ladybug just nearly lost her kwami as well. She'll understand in a way no one else can.

He fully expects to be the first one to their greenhouse. 

When he arrives, though, thumping down heavily just outside, it's to find the door already unlocked and Ladybug standing just inside. She's frowning pensively down at the pile of belongings haphazardly thrown into a corner. 

Wincing in anticipation of the conversation he knows is coming, Chat Noir eases the door open and slips inside, careful to shut it quickly so that there's no time for a chill to follow him in. 

He can't help but relax once the door is shut behind him. There's a _reason _greenhouses are some of their favourite places. Ladybug loves all the green and growing _life_ all around them, and Chat Noir loves the shared warmth, and even if he didn't there's the fact that anywhere he can spend uninterrupted time with his Lady would automatically leap to the top of his list of favourite places.

"Chat Noir," Ladybug says, raising an eyebrow and gesturing at the corner. There's a very small bag there with an energy bar and water bottle both poking out, and the edge of several comic books are visible as well, and most incriminating of all the bag itself is cradled on a very thick blanket that's been crumpled hastily rather than neatly folded. "Kitty? Do we need to talk?"

Adrien swallows, but on some level he knew this was coming. It has been for a while. "Um, there was an akuma and I had to leave in a hurry?"

Ladybug turns and crosses to him in two long strides, setting her hands on his shoulders the way he more often does with her. "Chat Noir. That isn't what I meant and you know it."

He sags a little in her grip and her hands tighten. He can't lie to her. Even if he wasn't well aware of how she feels about liars, he could never lie to her. "It's always warm and private here. It's- it's a good place to sleep." A little defensively, he nods towards his corner. "It's relaxing."

"_Chat_," Ladybug starts, voice full of some unidentifiable emotion, and then sighs and turns towards his corner herself. She tugs him after her and drops down onto the blanket, spreading it out over both their laps before leaning hard into his side while letting out a breath between clenched teeth. "Minou, please, I don't know what's going on in your life but I need you to_ tell me_ if you need somewhere to _stay_. We can figure something out, you know."

He gazes down at her for a moment, stunned but warmed at her concern, and then raises his gaze to look around the greenhouse. "This really is a good place, though. It's- it's nice. It's warm and- and-" He's running out of ways to articulate why he doesn't mind staying here more nights than not, and Ladybug is only looking more concerned with each word, so Adrien stutters to a halt.

"Chat Noir..." She hesitates, but then she looks down at his bag full of comics and scavenged food (because taking food from the kitchens would have been noticed, but people _do_ have a marked tendency to offer Chat Noir food) and her expression does something strange again. "Kitty, please. I need- I need to know you've got a home to go back to after battles! What if-" She shrinks in on herself. "What if we _hadn't_ gotten our kwami back? What would you have done?"

"...gone home, I guess." He doesn't look at her. "My lady, I do _have_ a home, I promise."

Ladybug reaches out and pinches the edge of his blankets, rolling it between her fingers. "Not... not a good one, Chat, not if you've been sleeping here instead."

"I don't always sleep here," he says, but stiffly enough that he knows she's going to catch what he isn't saying. She _could_ interpret his defence as meaning that he spends some nights at home.

She could. But she's smart enough not to. 

Ladybug stills, letting the blanket drop away again, and clears her throat. "I might be able to help. Maybe not immediately. But kitty- Chat Noir, this isn't right, you shouldn't have to- You should feel comfortable sleeping at home."

He's already tried explaining why he likes it here, and he's not sure how to articulate the way being surrounded by nothing but windows calms him down considerably. He knows that's silly anyway, it isn't like his room doesn't have _massive_ windows, but-

But he's always, _always_ aware that the mansion's security system could close that route off at any time.

And while he could Cataclysm out if he had to-

He'd woken up without Plagg tonight. 

He doesn't have a way out without Plagg. 

(He doesn't have much family left without Plagg, but _that's _definitely the kind of thought that's likely to draw akuma to them).

Ladybug takes another deep breath. "We'll think of something, Chat Noir, I promise. But until we do- can you call me, the nights you're coming here?" She runs her hand over the blanket. "I don't- I don't think you should be here alone." 

"I have Plagg," he says, softly, but he knows what she means even before she says it.

"And I woke up without Tikki tonight," she says, unevenly. "I know you woke up without Plagg. And I-" She breathes out hard again, but this time her breathing doesn't steady again. "And I realised I didn't know if I'd ever see you again. I want- I want to know that if anything like that ever happens again, I can find you. That you can find me. That we won't- that we won't lose each other, too."

"We could never lose each other," Adrien promises, heart aching, even though he's been suffering the same fear since waking to find himself alone. "We found each other anyway, didn't we, my Lady?"

Her laugh sounds like it's holding back a tide of tears. Adrien can sympathise. "That was the most reassuring part of the whole night, kitty, even if you _did_ look ridiculous."

"Oh-" He makes a face. "Returning that costume is going to be a pain."

She punches him in the arm, far too lightly to really register through their suits. "Just return it while you're transformed, you dork."

Neither of them ever does make it home that night. They fall asleep slumped against each other in the corner of the greenhouse, and they both sleep so long and deeply that they miss most of the next day. That's going to get _him_ in trouble, at least, but it isn't as though being grounded has mattered to Adrien in a very long time now. If it ever had, considering being sent to his room has never made much difference to him. 

Selfishly, Adrien wishes he could spend _every_ night curled up tightly in a warm, sheltered corner with Ladybug. He wishes they could sleep like that detransformed, that their kwami could join them, but he'll take whatever he can get and anyway he's missed so much of the day already that he might as well sneak off and spend time with Plagg. 

It's a surprise, when he comes back that night, to find Ladybug already there.

Not only to find Ladybug already there, but Ladybug there and carefully arranging several other blankets with his own, spreading them out into a until she's built a very appealing nest. She's even scattered pillows around, something Adrien has never bothered with.

Ladybug's brought so _many_ more blankets that it must have taken her multiple trips. There's a black and green one that _looks_ like the softest thing he's ever seen and feels even better when he finally approaches it, and a red one with a tasselled fringe that gives Chat Noir something to fiddle with when he can't quite fall asleep, and Ladybug turns in time to see him before she sets down the very last one.

"Come here, minou," she says, very softly, and he goes to her.

He settles in next to her just the same way he did last night, this time with a purr so loud he's sure she can _feel_ it, and she drapes the last blanket over them both before dragging them both down to a more comfortable position. She shifts around until she's pressed along his side, both of them stretched out on their stomachs, and Ladybug reaches up to tangle one of her hands in his hair while he drapes one arm across his back. 

He leans into her with another, louder purr as she scratches between his ears, making him go boneless with relaxation. 

He does twist enough to poke at the last blanket before she gently pulls his arm back down. 

"Different," Adrien mumbles, too much of his attention already absorbed in his Lady to comment any more intelligibly.

"Weighted," Ladybug answers quietly. "They can help with a lot of things, including anxiety. With Hawkmoth around, they've really kind of jumped in popularity." She pauses, then admits quietly, "I've made a few, in fact." 

Adrien twists enough to look at the blanket again. The side closest to them is black with neon paw prints, and when he carefully reaches out to twist it over enough to see the other side it's red with black spots. He swallows. "You made us one."

"Yeah." She strokes between his ears again. "Gotta keep _our_ anxiety down, right, chaton? And-" She sighs. "And I don't have a better solution yet. I'm trying, and I'll let you know, but until I can- until I find something, _please_, just comm me and I'll be here. Okay?"

Adrien buries his face in his arms so that she can't see the way tears sprang to his eyes at that. He doesn't have _anyone_ who'll come for him when he needs them, no questions asked. Anyone but Plagg, but then Plagg is the constant exception in his life. He wonders if Ladybug knows exactly what it is she's offering him.

She's his partner. She almost certainly knows. 

It takes a few more weeks of sporadically spending nights together in the greenhouse, or even some of his other boltholes once he admits to them, but eventually Ladybug does have a plan. 

And eventually they meet again in the greenhouse, agreeing to turn their backs to each other before dropping their transformations. They both settle in cross-legged, backs pressed against each other for reassurance, and neither of them speaks for a long time as their kwami flit off further into the greenhouse to visit with each other. 

Their kwami are back long before either of them has turned around. Plagg makes a disgruntled noise, but he settles on Adrien's shoulder all the same, and Tikki is probably doing the same with Ladybug.

"Ready?" Adrien finally asks, his voice husking a lot more than he means it to. 

"Ready," Ladybug confirms, _her_ voice strangely breathless, and they turn to face each other at the same time.

She takes longer to recover than he does. Adrien has always known that he loves _whoever_ is behind his Lady's mask. Discovering her civilian identity is a balm to the part of him that he thinks had started to fall for Marinette as well.

Marinette mostly seems shocked, and even shuts down and starts to stutter for a moment the way she does in class, but Adrien takes both her hands in his and traces his blunt nails over his wrists the way he would his claws and her confidence seems to visibly build back up. 

She does close her eyes before talking to him, though. "Okay. Okay, so this might still be more complicated than I thought. But- but your father has never noticed you sneaking off to sleep here, right?"

Adrien flinches a little, knowing that she can feel it through his grip, but it's Plagg that snorts and says, "Of course not. He doesn't care unless the kid misses some kinda dumb event in his schedule."

"Plagg," Adrien starts, but his heart's not in it. His kwami is right, after all.

Marinette's eyes are still shut, but her brows are furrowing in Ladybug's usual determination as she seems to come to a decision. "And my parents haven't noticed yet either. They trust me enough not to keep checking in very late. Minou, why-" Her eyes crack open. Her voices wavers before she closes them again, voice steadying when she does. "Why don't you come home with me, at least for tonight? And we can talk to Nino tomorrow. Alya, too. And Juleka and Rose, they'll help. Minou- they'll all help, you know. The whole class." Her whole face seems to twitch briefly as she adds, "For you, even Chloe and Sabrina would help."

"I..." Adrien genuinely doesn't know what to say to that. He knows their class is close, that there are strong friendships there whose roots he could never trace when he's joined them so late, but he's never really thought about their classmates considering _him_ a part of their group.

Looking back, though, he feels stupid for not realising it. They _do_ try to include him. They've more than made it obvious that they care. 

"That's a good plan," Tikki chimes in, surprisingly subdued. "But it's late. Why don't we all go home for now and work on the rest in the morning?"

_Home_.

Adrien can't help the joy bubbling up in his chest at the thought as he helps Marinette gather up their favourite blankets and pillows, as they transform to make their slow way to the bakery. 

To make _their_ way home.

**Author's Note:**

> title is from avicii's hold the line, largely because i was _so happy_ at wayzzs insistence that they ARE ladybug and chat noir _miraculous or no_


End file.
